In early 2021, Muso, our local community partners, and the Malian government identified a new site and broke ground to support the bandwidth of providers at health centers, reduce wait times, and support the delivery of primary health care in peri-urban Mali. Due to a surge in population and urbanization over the last decade and health infrastructure that has not kept up with this growth, Yirimadio's single health center is over capacity. This has resulted in long wait times to see a health provider, deterred patients from seeking care, exacerbated the stress placed on health care providers, and risks overcrowding as our communities navigate accessing healthcare in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government-run Bakorobabougou Health Center will serve more than 60, 000 patients, and provide quality care without out-of-pocket fees. We look forward to finalizing equipment and launching the center within the next few weeks. Stay tuned!